My very talented assistant – before her last day on Friday – put together a transition memo for her successor that I have taken to calling, “A Users Guide to DJB.” The ten-page paper goes through recurring meetings (I have a lot), travel preferences (aisle seats, please), electronic filing (I do most of it from my iPad)…all the things that one needs to know about in the modern-day office. I was impressed.
But then Section #15 – the final one – is titled “Miscellaneous DJB Facts and Preferences.” Oh my…what would I find here?!
Well, the following are some of my favorites (while the other half have been deleted to protect the innocent):
Miscellaneous DJB Facts and Preferences
- David’s wife’s name is Candice. Everyone spells it Candace, which is not her name.
- David likes to drink unsweetened iced tea at lunch, and red wine at happy hour.
- David does not like beets or olives. ( I underlined that one myself. She could have added that when he gets lunch, David tends to find one thing at a restaurant that he likes and he almost always orders that item when he visits that particular restaurant. It is easier than thinking!)
- David likes honesty. If you have an issue, go to him with it. If someone else is having an issue that you can discreetly get fixed, go to him with it.
- David dislikes rumors and confidentiality breaches. You are going to hear a lot of confidential information. Keep it all to yourself, and you’ll be the most valuable assistant around.
- David is on a quest to visit every major league baseball stadium in America. Get him to give you a list of those he has left, and make suggestions of ones he could visit while on work travel – he’ll love you for it!
Pretty amazing to see yourself as others see you.
More to come…
DJB
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